


the pinkness of your sky

by littlelooneyluna



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: M/M, Office crush, aaron and robert work in the same office and aaron is in loooove, alternative universe, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2019-05-04 23:58:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14604597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlelooneyluna/pseuds/littlelooneyluna
Summary: aaron is crushed to learn that the man he has been in love with for years is leaving their boring office firm job.





	the pinkness of your sky

**Author's Note:**

> When I tell you I wrote this ages ago, I mean ages ago for a friend of mine on tumblr. Everyone is so busy writing their Big Bang's and it's been so quiet on here recently so I wanted to find something to upload and here you are!

Robert is a lot of things Aaron wants to be.

He's strong yet soft and has this wild ability to hold anyone he loves close to his chest and never let them go.

He's also gorgeous, in a ridiculously embarrassing way and he doesn't even know it.

That's the thing too.

He's this arrogant prick one second and the next he's this insecure pile of goo and Aaron's watched him for years battling to try and get some sort of approval from the office's boss.

He sort of has now, the daughter on his arm and the chance to secure his place even further into the business.

Aaron watches him now, pen in hand and a pile of paper work to get through and he feels something break in his chest and he sees Robert lean down and kiss at Chrissie's cheek and then shake Lawrence's hand.

He stares until he feels a thud at the back of his head and Adam gives him a concerned look. "You ever going to get over him?" He sounds annoyed and he has every right to be really because Aaron's been in love with Robert for absolutely years now and he's had his chances.

He's had about a million.

But every time he tries there's something that stops him. It's usually fear, this crippling anxiety that their pally friendship will completely die as soon as Aaron decides to ask him for a drink away from this flipping office.

"Don't think so." Aaron whispers, blinks a little quickly as he keeps staring at Robert through the window.

He's got a hand on Chrissie's shoulder now and they look quite the good looking couple.

That only hurts more and Adam throws a pen at him.

It lands against his head and he scowls at his idiot of a mate who should be leaving now. "Haven't you got printers to shift downstairs?" He waves a hand out and Adam rolls his eyes before he disappears.

He goes and Aaron is this glum twenty four year old with absolutely nothing to offer Robert.

Who is older, and richer, and has everything Aaron admires and more.

He's also an arrogant dick when he wants to be but Aaron's known him for long enough to know that he's _more_ than the suit and tie he wears.

He sighs out softly and looks positively _glum_ as Robert comes towards him. He tries to snap himself out of it, straightens his tie and sits higher up on his chair.

"Did you see that?" Robert says, eyes wide and alert and suddenly Aaron can't breathe because Robert looks so amazingly happy and he feels like the complete _opposite_.

"You what?" Aaron says, can hardly look up and starts mindlessly stapling pieces of papers together.

"In there." Robert turns back towards the closed off office and then looks at Aaron. "Lawrence has offered me a job at the firm down in London."

And everything completely sinks so suddenly in Aaron's chest.

He has absolutely no control over the way he feels and it takes everything and more for him to smile.

"That's - that's great." Aaron's eyes flicker, "Manager?" He stammers out.

And he's proud of him.

Robert has been working in this pint size office for nearly four years, was the first person to actually give Aaron the time of day when he started.

He remembers it clearly.

{ Aaron's tie was unnaturally loose and he tried to make it tighter as he walked towards the receptionist.

The woman had bright lipstick on and wobbled about a fluffy pink pen as she spoke and then called Lawrence over.

"Ah, you must be Mr Dingle?" Lawrence said, nodded a little before he shook Aaron's head and showed him around the office.

It wasn't long before the receptionist - Leyla - was showing him to his desk and making him a coffee and everything felt good until suddenly he was fucking up and the printer was losing its mind.

That's when Aaron felt a hand swoop past him and hit a button on the printer. The papers stopped flying out instantly and Aaron felt this relief wash over him before he looked at who had come to his rescue.

And it was him.

Tall, grey suit, shiny shoes and this bored but friendly look on his face. "There you go." He said and Aaron couldn't actually breathe.

So very suddenly he was taken aback and couldn't breathe and all that _jazz_ and -

"Thanks." Aaron nodded his head, waited for the man to move on by like he didn't matter but instead he frowned.

"You're the new guy?" He said and then extended a hand. "Robert."

And Aaron,

He shook his hand, told him his name and something shifted in his heart. }

Robert nods now, then grins a little in disbelief. "I can't believe it. I mean, it probably has something to do with me sleeping with his daughter and buying her that necklace but -"

Aaron frowns suddenly. "Don't say that." He says. "You're amazing at what you do."

And he's always tended to take this work much more seriously than anyone else.

He deserves the chance to actually progress, show the world how brilliant he actually is.

"Cheers." Robert says, looks a him for a little too long and Aaron looks away. "You'll come to my leaving do won't ya?"

And that's happening already then.

Aaron's eyes widen and he nods his head a little. "Of course I will."

And he can't think of anything worse.

~*~

He still can't now.

The tables have been pushed so far to the corner of the room that they've probably scrapped of the cream paint and Leyla's gone to the expense of turning out plates of sausage rolls and crisps.

Aaron's hogging the bowel now, head pressed against the wall and watching everyone hug and kiss Robert goodbye.

The 'Goodbye and Good luck' sign hangs over the window and mocks Aaron for all it's worth.

He rips his eyes away from it and is suddenly thankful that the lights have been dimmed down so that no one sees the way he looks. Anyone would think he'd just been told he has hours to live.

"Cheer up." Adam tells him, shoves at his arm and can't stop shoving until Aaron looks up at him with this sad look in his eyes.

"It's not that easy." Aaron whispers, shakes his head and watches the smile on Robert's face start to fade a little as he looks at Aaron. "We're mates."

Adam scoffs. "You don't want to be." He says. "God, the minute you two kissed on Red Nose Day I just -"

Oh and the infamous kiss it was.

A few months ago, Aaron dressed up like a giant teddy bear and Robert in his boring blue suit and tie choosing not to participate.

{ "I'll donate just as much as you, without looking like a dick." Robert says, nods his head smugly and Aaron rolls his eyes against his stupidity.

"Everyone's supposed to look like an idiot. The only one who does though, is you mate." He itches at the suit and Robert turns away as the phone on his desk rings.

Aaron's inside turn to jelly and then when he walks passed Robert's desk hours later he has to read the sign on it a few times.

' 1 Kiss = £1 '

"You've got to be kidding me." Aaron scoffs, disbelief running though his whole body and Robert frowns at him before realising what he's talking about and laughing.

"The perks of being bisexual means I can earn extra." Robert shrugs and suddenly Adam's laugh roars through the room as he slides a pound across the table and Robert winces as he kisses his cheek sloppily.

"Classic mate!" Adam's a complete embarrassment and Aaron's bright red as Robert rubs at his cheek with a wipe and then welcomes the way Leyla smacks a kiss against his lips seconds later.

Adam laughs against and Aaron's eyes just widen.

"All for a good cause." Robert says, and he's blushing himself because, he has no idea how beautiful he is, does he?

Aaron distances himself for the next few hours until almost everyone is gone and he can finally pull the costume off.

He's absolutely boiling and doesn't expect to see Robert still at his desk when he comes back into the room.

He's only got a white vest and boxers on and he blushes against the way Robert laughs at him. "Don't mind me mate." He says, "You have got clothes right?"

And Aaron nods quickly, grabs at the jumper and jeans in his bag before pulling them on quickly and looking towards the money Robert has made.

"There's a fiver in there." Aaron frowns, laughs a little as Robert explains the story of Tracy from client calls wanting her fair share.

They continue laughing until Aaron stops and Robert smiles at him.

"Didn't get any money off you though did I?" Robert scowls playfully and Aaron's insides turn to jelly again. "Come on, pucker up." He leans over the desk so confidently that Aaron can't breathe.

He just stares at him and then his heart thuds as he leans over and presses his lips against Robert's. It's over in a matter of seconds. He presses his lips against Robert's and feels Robert press back and close his eyes and then Aaron's pulling away and Robert blinks up at him.

"Cheers." Robert whispers, and Aaron digs into his pocket and pulls out a pound and slides it across the table.

"Bye." Aaron hurries out and doesn't know how to stop the way his heart flips. }

Aaron sighs against Adam yapping in his ears and then he shakes his head.

"He's got Chrissie. And a new _job_ , he's leaving Ad." Aaron hits his head lightly against the wall and feels everything rise in his chest. "I left it too late."

Only Adam doesn't think so.

"Tell him how you feel." Adam says, and Aaron has tried so many times but he's always failed.

"I can't." Aaron winces. "There's no point alright? He's _never_ seen me like _that_."

Adam gulps. "You never know mate."

And it's that stupid phrase that makes him open his stupid mouth a few hours later when he finds Robert alone in Lawrence's office.

"Can I have a word?" Aaron says, shaking as he closes the door and Robert frowns at him and nods.

"Are you okay? You look a little -"

Aaron waves a hand up. "I'm fine." He shudders, frowns a little. "Well no I'm not, 'cause you're leaving."

Robert doesn't say anything for a few seconds and then comes a little close to Aaron and kicks at his foot. "Hey, you can visit if you like?" He says, and he has this soft kind voice on.

Aaron breathes out steadily and looks down.

"Honest. I mean - we're mates Aaron." Robert gulps. "Is there something else that you -"

"I'm in love with you." Aaron says, stands suddenly and looks directly at Robert. He watches his face _fall_ and his eyes widen and everything tells Aaron to shut the fuck up but he can't. "You heard right. I'm in love with you and I have been for years and I should have told you sooner. I was a coward and you were - this amazing bloke and I'm awful at stuff like _this_ so I left it. I thought it would go away but it hasn't. It hasn't and now you're going and I just needed you to know."

He doesn't mean to cry but he is.

He's got tears in his eyes and this sudden feeling of sick relief as Robert's mouth hangs open.

"And I know you don't feel the _same_. That's not - not what this is about. I just - I needed to tell you okay?" Aaron's shuddering as he speaks and Robert's face just stays the same until he frowns a little and gulps.

"Okay." Robert whispers, and Aaron wasn't expecting Robert to throw his arms around him or anything but this?

It's not even worth it is it?

Aaron blows out a breath and suddenly Chrissie is at the door. He smells her perfume as she puts her head around the door and smiles. "Taxi's here. You ready to leave this boring place?"

And Aaron's never felt so out of place before.

Robert looks at Aaron, and then at Chrissie. "Course yeah, let me just -" he waves a hand out and wordlessly gestures until she's gone again and Aaron opens the door to leave.

"Aaron -" Robert starts but Aaron shakes his head.

"It's fine. Just - look after yourself okay?"

And Aaron ends up watching Robert say goodbye to everyone at the office, thank them all for being amazing and making one of the most boring jobs actually alright.

And then he watches him leave with Chrissie and decides to spend the rest of the night drinking too many beers and watching Leyla try to flirt with the beefy Pete who works in the warehouse.

"I told him. And he still left so thanks." Aaron lifts his beer up and Adam is sorry.

"It's going to be alright you know. You'll get over him. You'll find -"

"Don't want anyone else." He waves a hand up and gulps hard as he swigs at his beer. "And who's going to want me?" He says over some cheesy pop song and the sound of people going home and -

"Me."

He thinks he's losing the flipping plot but when he turns around Robert is standing there.

He's got this stunned smile on his face and his cheeks are red and bright and Aaron's mouth hangs open as he approaches him.

"I'll have you. If you wouldn't mind." Robert says, chuckles just slightly and Aaron's too shocked to even say anything but Adam's grinning for him.

"I - I don't understand -"

"You're not the only one who feels the way they do. Just - didn't think you saw me like that so I tried to forget." Robert is suddenly awkward and Aaron stands and holds at his shirt. "I'm staying right here."

"You - why didn't you take the job? You idiot." Aaron says, and Robert smiles.

"I didn't think I had anything keeping me here. But it turns out I do." Robert whispers, and he presses their faces so close together that their noses almost bump before Aaron's kissing him suddenly and Robert nearly falls back against Aaron's passion.

Adam's whooping, and everyone else doesn't even seem fazed because apparently it was too obvious to know how they felt and -

Aaron is enough for someone Robert to _stay_ , to _love_ and there's something almost too beautiful about that for Aaron to actually get over right now as Robert turns into this soft goo against his neck and holds him tight and -

He probably will never get over this.

 

 


End file.
